The clear guiding light of scripture
Andrew Hoseason
6/6/1999

Psalm 150
Proverbs 3: 1-8

For the last four weeks I have been suffering from exhaustion of the body and mind.The result is that I present to you the easiest in my backlog of potential messages.  Its about the use of instruments in the praise and worship of the creator of the universe.
Today I bring to you a message which I do not agree with.  I know what my own opinion of this subject would be, and that opinion does not exactly match the things we find in scripture.  But I’m going to tell you about what we find in scripture.
If at the end, you feel you have anything to add to this message, please give it to me in writing.

Why should I give you a message from the word of God as we find it in the Bible, when I know that my own choice of view would be different?
Well, our scripture from proverbs gives the lead, “Lean not on your own understanding, but in all things acknowledge the will of God”
As followers of God, we are called to put upon our shoulders the light guiding yoke of Jesus.
He is Lord, a master.
When Toni and Carol went to camp last summer they learnt about becoming an ambassador for Christ.
They learnt that to be an ambassador, you must adopt the standpoints of that which you represent.
You must be, as it where, the person or body which you represent.  As servants of the almighty God, we must represent him.
I have had some conflicts in the past over this kind of thing.  People have just failed to understand that the position I was keeping was not my own.  They found it incredulous and impossible that someone, knowing their own ideas, could voluntarily put them aside and publicise a different position.  
But that is what i am doing today.
I am going to tell you about worshipping God as the Bible sees it, not how I see it.  After all, the opinions of people are changeable.  God’s word is reliable.
It says,

Eph 5:19-20
Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[NKJ]

and
Isa 44:21-24
Remember these things, Israel, for you are My servant; I created you, you are My servant, you will not be forgotten by me.
I have swept your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."
Shout for joy, you heavens!
Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest!
The LORD has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the creator of all things, stretching out the heavens by myself, and spreading out the earth.  No-one helped me."

Our scripture today from the Psalter that monumental finale to the book, a glorious crescendo of praise and instruction from God.  There are other Psalms which mention singing worship to God.  Here are a selection which we will then dissect to see what we are being told.
The instructions of the LORD are never to be taken lightly, are they?

Ps 33:1-6
You are the LORD’s people.  Obey him and celebrate!  He deserves your praise.
Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; sing praises to Him with a ten-stringed harp.
Sing to Him a new song; play skilfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the LORD is true; and all His work is dependable.
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were created, by his word the stars were born.

Ps 92:1-8
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;
To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness by night,
I enjoy praising thy name to the music of harps.
Everything thou do makes me happy, and I sing joyful songs.
How great are Thine actions, O LORD!  Thy thoughts are too deep for an ignorant fool to know or understand.
When the wicked sprout up like grass, and all who do wrong prosper, they will be pulled up by their roots because thou, O LORD are supreme forever.

Ps 96:1-5
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
Ps 98:1-9    O sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonderful things, and with his own powerful arm he has gained the victory.
The LORD has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.  Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre; with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the LORD.
Let the sea roar and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing together for joy  Before the LORD; for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with justice and fairness.
I thank the LORD for such inspiring and perfect words.

What do we make from these words?  Firstly, it is good to give praise to God.  That is the first and foremost conclusion.  Secondly, we notice in every Psalm but 150, we are told that not only is it right to praise God, but we are instructed why and what for.

Then in most cases we read instructions about instruments which God considers suitable for worship.  Stringed instruments.  Brass instruments.  Woodwind instruments and percussion.
Next we are given further instruction.  Dancing is part of praising God.

Ps 30:11-12
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
That {my} soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.
(NAS)

Ps 149:1-3
Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.
Let Israel be glad in his maker; let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.
Let them praise His name with dancing; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre.  (NAS)
So what about instruments.  I never encountered this problem before I got involved with this congregation!
I remember once I took part in an evening service led by the young people at the Methodist congregation I was involved with.  I was 21 at the time.  I gave the sermon and played the recorder and the electric guitar.  It was very strange.
We had been warned not to play the guitars too loud so we had soundchecks before the service and a level of volume was agreed.  Then of course all the people came in and the sound characteristics of the building altered.  All those bodies deadened the sound of the guitars and the upshot was that we got complaints from a lot of old people that they couldn’t hear us playing!
	You may have reached a conclusion about what my personal view about instruments in worship is.  But you are wrong because my own view is not straightforward.  What is more, I am not going to tell you what it is!
Let me repeat what the Bible clearly says.
It is good to praise and worship God.  Because he is worthy of it.
God mentions playing instruments in worship.  No-one here would curse themselves by calling God a liar by denying that.  Neither could we say that God forbids the use of instruments in worship.

This is my conclusion based on the word of God.
Worship and praise are something that comes from the human soul.  So worship and praise must be performed by that soul in what ever form the spirit leads whether that be singing, shouting, dancing or whatever.  As for the playing of instruments, that isn’t worship in itself.
It is an addition to the praise given by our spirit.  So it must compliment or encourage but not lead.

Scripture has a general principle which can be applied to the use or not of instruments within worship.  I would like to read from the book of Romans for you.  I will not make any comment afterwards so please let the scripture do the talking to your soul.
Romans chapter 14.  I don’t wish us to get drawn into specifically which side of the illustration Paul gives fits the use of instruments or the lack of use of them.  Either side of the illustration can serve either case.

1Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2For instance, one person believes it is all right to eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down on those who won’t. And those who won’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should.
5In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter. 6Those who have a special day for worshiping the Lord are trying to honor him. Those who eat all kinds of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who won’t eat everything also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7For we are not our own masters when we live or when we die. 8While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord. 9Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died.
10So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God. 11For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow to me
and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.’”
12Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. 13So don’t condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian’s path.
14I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right.
17For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too. 19So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
20Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble. 21Don’t eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another Christian to stumble. 22You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by doing something they know is all right. 23But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn’t eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.